According to Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister : 'Typically, the irst half of life is spent accumulating, and with the second half comes the stripping away.Babies grasp at everything; we clutch many things; as we age, if we are wise, we open up our hands and begin to let go; we melt into God. Stripping down, getting down to essence is part of the aging process.
It's a beautiful thing. It's a gorgeous thing. [The Benedictine women] tell you they have everything they need, except one thing -- the melting into God."

Letting go is just one aspect of Chittister's take on aging. Another part of her message is to become madly alive and stay as engaged in the world as is possible. Science, she said, has found that the average time between the beginning of a fatal illness and death is about three months, and that increasingly our elderly are living healthy and engaged lives, free from the worries of raising children and careers, well into their 80s, 90s and beyond.

"Do not allow yourself to be diminished by anyone," she insists  "It can only harm your spiritual journey -- and that must be protected and enhanced by staying engaged and keeping a radical outlook on life"

To find out more about Joan's take on the Ageing process and to explore what aging means in your own life come and join our discussion group for the month of March.

Every tuesday afternoon (except the 17th) at 1.30pm. Group members can purchase Joans book 'The gift of Aging' at the Pauline Bookshop in Camberwell. Contact Alex for details and to RSVP